by Mindy Hayes
They hustled in and closed the door behind them. Evette swiftly came to my bedside, while Adelaide carefully carried a tray of some fruit to the side table. “Evan has requested that we get you ready for the day. He presumes you would like to get started as soon as possible.”
Started on what? They pulled me from the cozy softness I was not happy to leave. Adelaide handed me a round, pinkish opalescent fruit.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a pruila.” Adelaide put her hands to mine and encouraged me to take a bite. “It’s delicious. Taste it.”
Sweet juice dripped down my chin as I took a bite. It had the texture of a nectarine, but was sweet like a strawberry.
“Do you like it?” She smiled.
I nodded. It just might be my new favorite fruit. I headed toward the bathroom. “Okay. Let me shower before we go see Evan.” I really wanted to wash off the previous day. I had collapsed in bed after Declan dropped me off. There was no need for counting sheep this time. My head hit the pillow, and I was out.
“We will get your wardrobe ready for you while you get washed up,” Evette said, walking to the closet on the other side of my bed.
After my shower, Adelaide approached me with another dress. This one was more casual than the dress for my Dawning, but not what I wanted to wear.
“Could I wear something that isn’t a dress? I’m allowed to do that, right?”
“You can wear anything you’d like, Your … Calliope.” Evette giggled and went to the closet, coming back with some tight taupe pants and a long flowing white top. Not what I was used to, but it was better.
They plucked some small blue flowers from my poster bed and wove them into my curls and then placed the crown on my head.
“Am I supposed to wear this every day?” I eyed myself in the mirror.
They both peered at me through the mirror with baffled expressions. “Well, royalty normally does,” Evette said, almost unsure of her answer.
To appease them I agreed to wear the delicate glass crown. I suppose it could be worse. The crown could be huge and hideous. I would pick my battles. Some things just weren’t worth fighting about. At least it wasn’t gaudy, but merely tinted interwoven leaves and flowers.
Evette and Adelaide escorted me down the hall to a larger room with a dark wooden desk under a big window, an enormous willow tree wavering outside. In the center of the ceiling, a window framed by vines was cut out, revealing the sky, spilling sunlight into the room.
Evan stood next to the round table and bowed at the waist. “Your Majesty, I hope you slept well.”
“I did. Thank you.” I lingered near the doorway.
“Please, My Queen, come in. Come sit at your desk. Make yourself comfortable.” I hesitated before walking over to it. It seemed so out of place in the scheme of things. Everything else was earthy and simple, whereas this made a loud statement: power—authority. I hated it instantly. After I sat down, it was then that I noticed Declan and Kai standing stiffly off to the corner in the back of the room.
“I thought we should dive in as soon as possible.” Evan strode in front of the desk, angling himself between my Keepers and me. Were they technically still my Keepers? I couldn’t stomach the thought of losing them.
“There is the matter of setting up your personal guard of Keepers.”
“I get to pick them?” I asked, hopeful.
“Of course. Though I know you are unfamiliar with them, may we make a few suggestions?”
“Well, since Kai and Declan have been with me for the last few months I’d really like to have them stay by my side. I trust them. They know me; I know them. I’d feel more comfortable with them.”
Evan’s mouth dropped open and then closed, contemplating. “I only decided to include them in this meeting because they know you, Your Grace. They may have insight into who would be best suited for you, not because they are candidates. They aren’t technically Keepers anymore. Though I do thank you both for you service.” He nodded at them and they returned the gesture. “They must go back to their true colony.”
“We can’t make just a little exception for them? I know there are probably a lot of other Keepers who are fit for the job, but I’d really like it to be them.” I eyed Kai and Declan, who remained expressionless and silent. Thanks for the help, guys.
“I don’t feel comfortable with it, My Queen,” Evan stated.
Who cares if he felt comfortable with it? They were my Keepers, right? But I didn’t want to make an enemy out of my personal advisor on day one, so I quieted my thoughts and spoke politely. “Please, Evan. Can we make this exception?” I had enough changes in my life recently. I didn’t want to lose them, too. “I trust them. They know me. I really don’t want anyone else.”
He sighed in defeat. “It can be done. Your decisions are always the final say, but you shouldn’t make allowances to switch colonies very often. If you plan on returning things back to the way they were before Favner, I suggest you only make this exception once. It sends the wrong message.”
I cleared my throat. “That is something else I wanted to talk to you about …” Now was a good time as any. Making Kai and Declan official Keepers dipped our toes in the water for a little change in the colonies.
“Well, before we get started, we should officially extend the call to Kai and Declan. They must accept before we continue.” I could tell he hoped they would decline the assignment.
“Oh. Right.” I looked over at them. Declan offered a smile. Kai kept his eyes on Evan. I got up because it felt weird to be behind a desk making decisions, like the desk was supposed to somehow make me feel official. “Are you guys okay with this? Did you want to go back to your true colonies?” They stood side by side, their hands clasped behind their backs, looking official and stoic. I really hated the formality of it all. I knew it was something I was going to have to get used to, but did Evan have to make a big deal out of everything?
Declan nodded his head, dutifully accepting the position. His kind eyes beamed at me. “I’d be honored.”
I shifted my eyes to Kai, who kept a straight face and nodded as well, but he didn’t look at me. His eyes remained on Evan. “I accept.”
“Magnificent,” Evan stated flatly. “Thank you, Keepers, for accepting this honorable position. You will start today. You are excused.” Evan’s tone clearly meant business and hinted at his apparent unease with my decision.
Kai walked out first, followed by Declan after he bowed.
“Now,” Evan said, turning to me. “Let’s get started shall we?” He gestured for me to sit back at the desk … my desk.
“Though under normal circumstances meetings would be conducted in a different manner, I will help guide you through this. What was it you wanted to speak about, Your Highness?”
“Umm … okay.” I sat back in my chair and rested my hands on the desk. “Before we start can I ask … is it okay if we get rid of the desk? I’d feel much more comfortable with something smaller.”
Evan seemed to relax and he smiled. “That was Favner’s desk. I would be more than happy to be rid of it. I could get you something smaller, round?” he questioned.
“Perfect.”
“I’ll ask the Craftsmen to have something built for you for tomorrow.” He nodded. “It should be done in no time.”
“Thank you.” Was I just supposed to dive in? Where was I supposed to start? “Now, I guess the one thing that has been blaring in my mind is the way the colonies are set up.” He looked quizzically at me. “I would like everyone to be able to choose the colony that represents what they want to spend their lives doing. It only seems fair.”
“Well, gradually everyone has gone back to their true colonies—the colonies they were born into.”
“Okay, that’s a start, but I would like everyone to get to choose which colony they would like to be a part of,” I said more adamantly.
“But, Your Grace, the system has worked so well for many generations,” he said respectfully
. “There is a reason we have it set up that way.”
“So, keep the system and let each fae distribute themselves under the colony that would make them the most happy, not just because that was what they were born to do. As long as the Nester colony has been completely eliminated. I want every woman to be able to create with whomever and whenever she wants. Every faery should have the opportunity to choose when they would like to procreate and with whom they want to.”
“But, my dear Queen—” Evan looked uncomfortable as he shifted and debated his next words. “With all due respect, what about those that were expected to bond within their colony before? Most of them had been reproducing for years together until Favner’s split.”
Sticky situation. “They should get the opportunity to choose. Right? They may feel more comfortable with the one they had already been married to or … bonded with,” I corrected myself. “But I won’t be a queen who forces those to stay in a relationship they didn’t ask for in the first place. All colonies should get to choose who they bond and reproduce with whether it be in their own colony or another.”
“They do get to choose—within their colonies. A bond is everlasting. Once a couple bonds, it can’t be broken.”
“What if after years and years they decide they don’t want to be together anymore?”
“Then they better choose wisely because the bond is an actual seal. It’s sacred. Once they agree to bond in the ceremony, it seals their fate to another for as long as they live. It cannot be undone.”
“When you say it cannot be undone …”
“I mean it cannot be broken until death. The only time a faery can bond again is if the other half of the bond dies.” He looked at me squarely. “It’s a dangerous line to cross.”
“If we can’t ever break the bond, shouldn’t the colonies at least be able to choose from anyone that they want? The scope doesn’t seem that wide.” I could hear the irritation taking hold of my words, but I couldn’t stop it.
“We’ve been bonding in our own colonies for centuries,” he stated seriously. “It’s like us coming into your world and telling you that your laws are now moot. Men can run rampant, pillaging and killing people. You give one the freedom to choose, they can take away a life from someone who did not. Some things are better chosen for us. If you come storming in here now, telling them that they can choose whoever they want to be with, some might be joyous in this, but the other half of the fae, those that have been bonded for centuries may feel very differently. It’s a very sacred union, Calliope—one that lasts for our entire existence,” he said reverently.
“But the future fae should have a choice.” I want a choice, is what I really wanted to say. But that should have been apparent.
“Then I suppose you have some decisions to think about. Let’s not be hasty. These are immense changes you are speaking of. Faylinn is skeptical enough as it is to have someone new at the head. If you come and try to change the one constant we have preserved over centuries, they will think you are no better than Favner. Please, Your Majesty, think this over first.”
This was why I had an advisor, but I didn’t like what he was saying. It made sense, and I understood his apprehension. I didn’t want to cause uproar among the fae who were devoted and trash their sacred traditions, nor did I want them to think I was even a fraction like Favner. But what about the future happiness of those who would live in Faylinn? What about my happiness? Should I have to sacrifice my love life after all that I’d given up? Hadn’t I given up enough already?
“Now, if we are finished with that item I have another I’d like to discuss, if you don’t mind me addressing it.”
“Sure.” I shrugged, overcome. Why not add one more thing to the mix? “Go ahead.”
“Favner has caused quite the crack in our foundation and our former traditions. Everyone is trying to get back to normal, trying to rebuild their homes, but they may need your help. They may also need confirmation that you are nothing like him.”
“What am I supposed to say, Evan?” I was having a hard time trying to remember why I was here. I knew they were going to be skeptical about my sudden appearance, even if I was the daughter of Finnian—true royal heir blah, blah, blah. I couldn’t even make the changes I wanted to make. “You know more than I do.” I was beginning to feel defeated, and it hadn’t even been a day.
He moved to put a hand on my shoulder. “My Queen, aside from the fact that you are a True Royal, you made the decision to come here on your own free will, did you not?”
I nodded almost reluctantly.
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to give the fae something better than Favner. I felt responsible.”
“That’s because you are. It’s your duty to be here and lead us. You feel it in the blood that runs through your veins. I will be here every step of the way to advise, but I can only do so much. The rest is up to you.” He smiled considerately. “I know as daughter of Finnian it will come to you. You’ll make the right decisions.”
I didn’t know what to say so I nodded.
“I think I’ve given you a lot of things to think about for now. Take your time. I have some other things to attend to, so just make yourself acquainted with the castle, and we will meet again tomorrow to dive further into our discussion.”
He must have seen the frustration and anxiety in my eyes. There was too much left to discuss for the meeting to end so soon.
While he bowed, I nodded, then he left the room. I moved the chair from behind the table and pulled it to the side, so I could peer out the window. I slouched down in the chair, leaning forward and resting my head down over my arms.
“Calliope?”
I looked up to see Declan’s brawny figure standing in the doorway. “You okay?”
I sighed and leaned back. “I’ve been better.”
He chuckled. “Evan can be a little overwhelming. I assume he threw a lot of information at you.”
“Not so much in the sense that it was a lot, but just a lot to take in. Does that make sense?” He nodded. “Evan’s not making it very easy for me to change things.”
His eyes grew sad, and he pursed his lips before answering. “What are you trying to change?”
“The colony system. I want everyone to have a choice. Does that seem so unreasonable?”
“No, but I understand his hesitation. He is one of the oldest fae. He was around long before the Great Divide even happened in Faylinn, and he knows what change can cause. I think he just fears for you and how the fae may react to change since all of those that stayed here fought to keep all our original traditions.”
“I was raised in a free country, Declan. I can’t wrap my head around these limitations. They aren’t reasonable.”
“It will take time for you to get used to Faylinn. Just give it some time. Have patience. One day you are going to wake up and your human life will be a distant memory.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. That thought scared me more than anything. “How is it possible that I’m the only living heir to Faylinn? I was doing the math in my head, and it just doesn’t add up. With as often as the fae reproduce, there had to be someone else along the way.”
“A couple of them branched off during the Divide, like the ones who would have had to wait for ten or more to die before they could take the throne. The rest …” It was obvious in his tone of voice what had happened. “Favner made sure no one else could possibly get in his way.”
My brow furrowed. “Was I related to Favner?”
“Distantly, yes.” He nodded.
“Sick.”
“He was, yeah.”
I chuckled and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“You look like you need some alone time. I’ll just be outside if you need me.” I nodded as he closed the door behind him.
I wondered if Kai was out there, too, or if he had run off again. His unpredictability wasn’t something I was used to. Expected, yes. But I don’t think I would ever get used
to Kai.
Chapter Five
The sun was high and bright when I emerged from being in the castle all day. I couldn’t stand being cooped up any longer. My wings stretched out as if they were trying to reach the sky, agreeing that we hadn’t seen the light of day enough. It was surreal to be able to let them free after having them concealed for so long. It was even more surreal not to be the only one with wings, but to look around and see every other female with long full petals streaming from their backs.
I felt Kai and Declan behind me, keeping their distance, but keeping me in their sights. They had followed me out of the atrium when I left. It all felt a little unnecessary to have them as a constant entourage. I would rather have had them walk with me, so I turned to tell them to knock it off, but they were nowhere to be seen. They were trying to be discreet. That was kind of them, at least.
“Finally come out of your cave, Queeny?”
I turned to see Allura sauntering over to me, twirling something long and skinny in her hand. “One can only handle so much time in the cave.”
She chuckled. “You’ll fit in perfectly around here.” She pointed the long object at me. It looked like Kai’s flute. “Kai tells me you’re going to do great things here. I think I just might believe him.”
He said that? “I don’t know about that, but I’m going to do what I can to honor my father.”
She gave me an approving nod. “I like that. I like you. You want me to show you around a little bit?”
I chuckled. “That’d be really nice of you. I seem to have lost Kai and Declan.”
“They’re good at disappearing. But they seem to always have a good reason for not being present so I wouldn’t give them too hard of a time for abandoning you.”
I opened my mouth to tell her they didn’t abandon me—they were probably just giving me space—but she began talking again.
“C’mon. I’ll show you around. We won’t be able to cover everything today, but I’ll get you acquainted enough with Faylinn.”
We walked past a group of fae weaving vines into delicate floral wreaths and wicker baskets. They peered up at me and smiled respectfully, nodding in acknowledgement. I returned the gesture.
